Apparently, Armand Mauss doesn’t like driving 85 miles to see a movie, only to be asked whether he’s a Christian at the movie theater box-office.
As reported here, a theater in San Diego apparently was warning people when buying tickets for God’s Army 2/States of Grace that it’s “not a Christian film… it’s really a Mormon film.”
I grant that the movie theater may be between a rock and a hard place, if some movie-goers had asked for refunds on the basis of their own ignorance of the content, or on the basis that films with grace in the title shouldn’t involve Mormons or some such. But it seems like an insensitive way to do it.
I think Dutcher handled the situation admirably.
I hope enough people saw it in San Diego that it will come up to Los Angeles! I have heard so many great things about this movie. I agree with Jordan that Dutcher handled it very well.
It’s funny how nonMormon Christians think we won’t self-identify as Christians, just because they don’t think we are.
I should reiterate that I think they weren’t being malicious, just ignorant.
This is very interesting that theater owners would present this warning.
–RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
See my comments at Messenger and Advocate.
The alleged fundamentalist anti-mormon customers who complained to the theater would have had every right to voice their opinion.
I don’t think the theater manager should be held responsible for being ignorant of the “are the LDS Christians or not” debate or the “grace versus works” debate if that’s the case.
I can easily visualize a “saved by grace alone” type storming out of the theater yelling “It’s a lie! Mormons don’t believe in grace! They believe in works!”
Now, if it turns out that the theater manager, or the one who implemented the question/response at the box office is the offended saved-by-grace-alone type mainstream Christian, then in that case, yes, the thing would be outrageous.
But, let’s find out if the management was merely trying to better inform their patrons due to previous customer complaints, or if it was a case of the venue operator or even just an employee promoting their own editorial comments.
I would hope that any protesting that was seen, was understood. If I was in Dutcher’s shoes that would be as big of a worry; that persons would see the “protest” and think the film was being protested, not the theater.
Wuold it have not been better to state upfront It was a positive film about Mormons?
The warning was Ignorant and poorly worded, but probably arose from the complaints the theatere was getting.
I’m just glad that when I went to see BrokeBack Mountain that they warned me that it was a positive film about homosexual/bi-sexual love. And when I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory they warned me that it was a positive film about obsesive compulsive people and their love of chocolate. And when I went to see Gone in 60 seconds they warned me that it was a positive film about car theives. I just love all the warnings I get every time I go see a movie that is about something.
Seriously, I have never once been to a theater and had them warn me or comment on a film, it it just people in California? Is this a usual practice? The closest I’ve had is the ticket person saying it is a great movie.